The scene of Donquixote Doflamingo being forcibly pressed down, utterly unable to resist, and made to kneel on the ground—
In that instant, it was like a red-hot branding iron, searing itself brutally into the eyes and hearts of every single Donquixote Family executive!
To outsiders, the Donquixote Family might look like villains who committed every evil under the sun. But within the family itself, their cohesion was terrifyingly strong, and their loyalty and devotion to Doflamingo bordered on blind worship.
Doflamingo treated them as family, granting them power and status—and in return, they had long since regarded the young master's dignity as their very own life!
"DOFFY!!!"
"Bastard! Let go of the young master!!"
Two furious roars erupted almost simultaneously!
Diamante—tall, draped in a crimson cloak, dressed like a tribal warrior—let out a savage bellow as he swung his Western-style rapier, the "Snake Sword." The blade twisted and writhed like a venomous serpent, stabbing straight toward Gern!
At the same time, from within the wall came a piercing, grating roar. Pica, the Stone-Stone Fruit user, manipulated the surrounding masonry. In an instant, the ground surged upward, forming a gigantic fist of rock that smashed down toward Gern with overwhelming force!
Yet their attacks didn't even come within three meters of him.
A slash—condensed to the extreme, moving like a ghost—struck first despite being unleashed later.
"Shua! Shua!"
There was no earth-shattering explosion. Only two dull, heavy impacts echoed through the space.
Diamante felt an utterly irresistible force slam into his chest. Blood sprayed violently from his mouth as his body was sent flying backward. He crashed hard into a distant wall, embedded deep within it, and instantly lost consciousness!
As for Pica's enormous stone fist—it shattered into fragments the very moment the slash made contact!
The residual force of the slash did not fade in the slightest. It struck with pinpoint precision, slamming into Pica's true body hidden within the rock!
"WAAH—!"Pica's shrill scream was cut off abruptly. Blood gushed from his mouth as well, and his body flew back like a kite with its string snapped.
He smashed through an entire wall, collapsing it completely, and was buried beneath the rubble—his fate unknown.
The entire sequence unfolded in the blink of an eye!
Only after the two had been instantly defeated did the other executives—Senor Pink, Jora, and the rest—slam on the brakes mid-charge, staring in horror toward the source of the attack.
Dracule "Hawk-Eye" Mihawk had risen to his feet at some point without anyone noticing.
The massive black blade, Yoru, was already drawn. He held it one-handed, lifted and resting horizontally at his side.
He didn't even glance at the two men who had been sent flying.
Those sharp, eagle-like yellow eyes merely swept coldly across the remaining Donquixote executives.
His voice was utterly flat, devoid of any emotion—yet it carried a chill that froze people to the bone.
His wrist shifted slightly, and the edge of the black blade Yoru gleamed with a dark, icy sheen in the dim light.
"The next strike…"Hawk-Eye's voice remained calm, but everyone who heard it felt as if they had fallen into an ice abyss."…I won't be using the back of the blade."
A tangible killing intent spread through the air, instantly extinguishing all the Donquixote executives' boiling blood and rage, leaving only bone-deep cold and terror.
A warning from the world's greatest swordsman—no one dared ignore it!
But… compared to the other executives' fear born purely from the overwhelming gap in strength—
The shock erupting inside Doflamingo, kneeling on the ground, and Crocodile, standing rigidly at the side, was on an entirely different level.
Diamante and Pica being instantly defeated was already proof enough of Hawk-Eye Mihawk's terrifying power.
What truly shook them to their core, however, was why he had acted—and where he stood.
He hadn't moved to protect himself.He hadn't been provoked.
He had acted because… those two had tried to attack Gern.
He was protecting Gern!!!
And that icy warning after his strike—it wasn't just meant for the remaining Donquixote executives.
It was aimed just as clearly at them—Doflamingo and Crocodile.
He was drawing a line.
A crystal-clear boundary:
No one is allowed to interfere with Gern.
The world's greatest swordsman.A man who had always walked alone, proud to the extreme, someone who didn't necessarily give face to anyone.
The embodiment of the pinnacle of swordsmanship—free, unrestrained—"Hawk-Eye" Dracule Mihawk…
He actually—
He actually—
An unbelievable yet unavoidable thought exploded simultaneously in the minds of both Doflamingo and Crocodile like a thunderclap, nearly stopping their breathing altogether!
The world's greatest swordsman… joined him.
The thought lingered like a curse.
In the next second, their gazes were dragged uncontrollably—filled with disbelief and shock—toward the man still looking down at Doflamingo, as if everything were already firmly within his grasp.
Inside their hearts, a voice screamed in unison, almost hysterically:
"He's under this man now?!"
"He actually brought 'Hawk-Eye' Mihawk under his command?!"
This was even more terrifying—more worldview-shattering—than Gern's sudden appearance in the North Blue!
Subduing someone like Bullet, a pure battle maniac, could still be explained by brute force.
But Hawk-Eye Mihawk…What level of pride did he possess?What obsession with ultimate perfection?
How could someone like that ever willingly bow beneath another?!
What method had Gern used?!
Or rather—had Gern's strength and breadth of character already reached a level where even a "world's greatest" was willing to follow him?!
In that moment, the perceived danger and terror Gern represented in their minds skyrocketed to an entirely new, immeasurable height.
The cigar clenched between Crocodile's teeth trembled slightly, ash fluttering down.
He had once believed that his own plan to seek out the Ancient Weapons was already insane, overflowing with ambition.
But compared to Gern—who, without even making a sound, had drawn a top-tier monster of the world under his banner—
It was… child's play.
Doflamingo knelt on the ground, the pain in his knees and the humiliation he felt seemingly drowned out by the sheer magnitude of the shock crashing over him.
Behind his sunglasses, his eyes were opened wide as they could go, locked onto Gern's calm, expressionless face, desperately trying to find an answer there.
And Gern—
Gern seemed quite pleased with the sight of the two of them standing there, struck dumb by shock.
The playful smile at the corner of his lips deepened slightly.
At last, he shifted his gaze away from Doflamingo for just a moment, sweeping it over Crocodile—who stood tense, as if facing a mortal enemy—before returning his attention to Doflamingo once more.
"Now…"Gern's voice remained steady, yet it carried an overwhelming pressure that spoke of absolute control.
"…you can continue the conversation that was interrupted just now, can't you?
Donquixote Doflamingo…'sir'?"